The Sustainable Business Network celebrated its anniversary with a City Council resolution and a call to keep building a local economy rooted in people, planet, and prosperity
Philadelphia, PA — The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia marked its 25th anniversary on Thursday, May 28, with a Philadelphia City Council resolution and a community press conference at Reading Terminal Market.
The celebration honored SBN’s work supporting local, independent businesses and advancing what the organization describes as a just, green, and thriving local economy.
Founded in 2001, SBN has spent 25 years connecting business leaders, entrepreneurs, partners, and investors around a vision of sustainability that includes the Triple Bottom Line: people, planet, and prosperity.
The day began at Philadelphia City Hall, where City Council recognized SBN’s impact across the region. The resolution, sponsored by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, highlighted SBN’s role as a convener and advocate for more than 140 member businesses, including women-owned, BIPOC-owned, LGBTQ+-owned, and immigrant-owned businesses.
The celebration continued at Reading Terminal Market, where Councilmember Gauthier opened the press conference. Gauthier is a former Executive Director of SBN, and during her time with SBN, she championed socially conscious businesses and helped advance policy efforts tied to people, planet, and prosperity.
Her opening remarks placed SBN’s anniversary within a larger story of local policy, sustainable business, and neighborhood investment. From there, business owners and partner organizations reflected on how the network has supported Philadelphia’s independent business community over the past 25 years.
Nima Etemadi, SBN Board Chair and co-owner of Cake Life Bake Shop, spoke about the role independent businesses play in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.
“For 25 years, SBN has helped independent businesses, like Cake Life, connect with one another, learn from one another, advocate together, and grow together,” Nima said.
Throughout the program, speakers returned to the idea that sustainability is more than environmental work. For SBN, it includes business growth, community wellbeing, environmental stewardship, and the ability for local businesses to remain rooted and built to last.
Hesham AlBarouki, representing the Reading Terminal Market Merchants Association and Kamal’s Middle Eastern Specialties, described Reading Terminal Market as “a city within a city,” where family businesses, food traditions, workers, and customers come together under one roof.
His family’s business has been part of the Market since 1981, making the location a fitting backdrop for a celebration centered on local enterprise and community connection.
Zach Wilcha, CEO of the Independence Business Alliance, spoke about the importance of business networks working together, especially at a time when local action is needed to support economic opportunity, inclusion, and long-term resilience.
Several SBN member businesses also shared how the network has shaped their work. Christopher Cruz, founder of Taíno Studios, spoke about building a creative business connected to local artists, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations.
“SBN has helped me think about business as part of an ecosystem,” Christopher said. “When Taíno Studios hires local creatives, works with local vendors, documents local businesses, or opens our space to artists and entrepreneurs, we are participating in a larger cycle of support.”
Lou Rodriguez, founder and CEO of Rodriguez Consulting, pointed to SBN’s long-term advocacy around green infrastructure, procurement equity, and access for small local firms. He recalled SBN convening local businesses in 2013 to examine barriers that kept small firms from participating fully in major public infrastructure opportunities.
“That report was Rodriguez Consulting’s first act of advocacy,” Lou said. “And it was only possible because SBN created the space for it.”
Zoraida Cordero, Executive Director of SBN, closed the program by looking toward the organization’s next chapter. She said local businesses are more than storefronts or services. They are gathering spaces, trusted relationships, opportunities for families, and anchors within communities.
“When local businesses succeed, communities feel it,” Zoraida said. “Jobs stay local. Wealth circulates locally. Relationships deepen. Neighborhoods become stronger and more connected.”
The anniversary ended with a call for attendees to continue supporting the vendors and businesses inside Reading Terminal Market. After 25 years, SBN’s milestone is a reminder that Philadelphia’s future depends on local businesses, shared resources, and networks committed to building a more connected economy.
This summer, SBN is rolling out a new program: the Cohort Sustainability Initiative, a cohort-based program for local businesses built on the triple bottom line of people, planet, and prosperity.
The program will begin by listening to participating businesses, assessing their needs, and offering support around legal readiness, operations, leadership, peer learning, and mentorship. For SBN, the program reflects a larger belief that true sustainability means businesses having what they need to stay open, grow, and last.
Applications and cohort details are expected to be announced this summer. More information about SBN membership and upcoming programs is available at sbnphiladelphia.org/membership.